Beneath the Stains of Time…
by rex1399
Summary: The tragic story of Timeline X, and how events had changed compared to the story Knight of the Freedom, and Character's opinions about John Reaper, John from X.


Beneath the Stains of Time…

John's POV…

15 years ago I was adopted into the Reaper family by Adam Reaper himself, and inherited three sisters, two brothers, and nine uncles all of which were Hybrids, Leo and Zoey are the only ones who talk to me thanks to being the only human. But when Adam died he entrusted the Reaper name to me, and I became more of an icon than I thought I would have, but it wasn't to last now aboard the Sidonia we had to pretend that Hybrids didn't exist aboard… but that was until Gauna 549.

It was defeated thanks to the new Hybrid Tsumugi Shiraui, her power was truly inspiring and with Gauna fighting us off her killing it led to less deaths than if we had to launch more Gardes. Hybrids were used to fight the Gauna before and now they are again, and I am glad that I was there to see her power. Now I am on Guard duty and staring at her while Kouichi is on the other side, the public may see it has a bad thing but as a solider I see it as a good thing and I had worked alongside hybrids before making Reaper wing a good idea for deployments with this new hybrid.

"Hey John, you phased out again."

"Shut up Kouichi at least I didn't shoot at her."

"Hey I thought she was a Gauna!"

"Get ready they are opening the door."

I could hear them gasping when they saw her, and the talk was going well and by the way she was holding herself I knew she was young.

"Maybe I should apologize for shooting at her."

"Yeah do that after the meeting."

People started to throw trash at her over what had happened 100 years ago and that's where I draw the line. I open up the Garde and jump down and walk over to the stand where Kunato is I am sick and tired of these guys treating Hybrids badly like Zoey.

"Listen to me everyone! I am Commander John from the Freedom, I know you all have had bad experiences with hybrids but things have changed, if I were to tell you Zoey Reaper was a Hybrid would you treat her like this? You have worked alongside a Hybrid for roughly ten years and didn't even know it because of the hate you hold."

"They wouldn't have lied about that!"

"They have for awhile, and I know because unlike you all I have worked alongside Hybrids for most of my Garde career and it has saved more lives than lost. I understand that you all have had bad experiences and that some of you have lived through what had happened, but I beg you not to allow prejudicial or fear hold Tsumugi in question, she was not born when that happened so don't accuse her of it."

"Thank you Garde Commander John."

"I didn't do it for you Kunato."

I get back into the Garde and the meeting ends shortly afterwards.

"You're crazy John, you most likely either gained a crush or ruined half of Sidonia's moral."

"Shut up Kouichi."

I later catch up with Tanikaze and Izana who were going to check up on Tsumugi.

"Hey I didn't notice you both at the debut."

"Yeah we were at medical and getting something to eat."

"I see."

Tsumugi sits up from the floor making some red dust go in our face, could be worse… right?

"Tanikaze!"

"Hello Tsumugi."

"Nice to see you again Tsumugi."

A moment of silence passes and I get a funny look from Tanikaze and Izana… guess they don't know how to be polite?

"Did I say something wrong?"

"You two met already?"

"Oh they took that out of the report I see how it is."

"Hello Garde Commander John nice to see you again."

I notice Zoey hiding in a pipe in the ceiling no doubt she hasn't met her either.

"Zoey you can come down from the ceiling now."

"John why do you always ruin the surprise!?"

"Because it's rude to do that to a lady, you off all should know that missy."

"Just because dad had adopted you doesn't mean you can treat me like that!"

"Just get down here and say hello."

"And if I don't?"

"If you don't you don't I am tired of the way you have been acting of late, little sis."

"Don't you dare call me that, you're not my brother!"

She runs off into the pipe and I just shake my head.

"Sorry for my sister, she has been less and less corporative."

"Your sister?"

"Yeah being head of Reaper wing and the Reaper family isn't as nice as it sounds."

"Isn't the Reaper family Hybrids?"

"Yeah, I was adopted."

We go on and Tsumugi measures us leaving Izana feeling ill, Tanikaze and I were just fine though, a while later and during a test run on the Vanguard's new systems, I notice a launch pad of some sort and Tsumugi… my radar bleeps to life and alerts of an incoming Gauna attack.

"Ben didn't you disable the advanced radar to make it so Tsumugi wasn't picked up?"

"Yes Master John, it has picked up a Gauna, this would be the 550th Gauna to date."

Tsumugi takes off and I know that the testing can wait.

"Disable training anchor and engage the other cores now!"

"Yes Master John."

I rush to assist with or without permission or approval I am helping or thought I would turns out that me and Tsumugi fall for a trap a Gauna trap.

"Master John it appears as though they plan to crush us."

"Charge the left arm railgun, and power up anti-ena armor."

The light red glow of the armor's energy lights the place and the blue glow from the railgun makes a purple color.

"Tsumugi you may want to cover your ears."

The firing of the gun makes the armor fails on the left arm and an ena contact sears the Black Material from the Garde, but destroys the cage.

"Left arm has taken serious damage."

"Thanks for the update, Tsumugi listen don't go doing anything rash think it through."

She bolts off and I just sigh, Izana and the Gardes had taken into combat with a second group of Gauna that 550 launched. I followed Tsumugi the best I can trying to avoid the Gauna and attack them which isn't as easy as it sounds I catch back up and free her from a Gauna, and Izana tries to calm her down when she gets attacked by a Gauna although I move in time and use the Vanguard to take the brunt of the damage, taking out the Heigus cores and the engine. And now my ribs hurt like a son of a gun.

"Master John your left ribs are broken."

"How's Izana?"

"Minor sprain."

"Hey this is John; the engines toast could use a tow back to Sidonia."

On the way back I noticed that the cores had enough power for the mirror shield, and when the Garde glew up like a Christmas tree I knew Sidonia was in trouble. Using the leg and arm engines I broke free from Tsumugi and activate the shield and brace when the beam hit and was sent back I thought a hot Garde would be all my problems but the left arm said otherwise as a shard of exposed metal broke through the cockpit and pierced my chest and I black out seconds later.

Next thing I know I am inside the medical quarters of the hospital critical care by the way the room is.

"Ah good, your awake I have… troubling news."

"What?"

"The shard of metal from the Garde has caused too much damage and we can't operate, I am sorry, but you will die within four weeks sir."

"Thank you Doctor."

Those four weeks… sped by like crazy I got visits from everyone, and it seemed like everyone's opinion worsened for Tsumugi when Tanikaze and her got into a fight… the end results were disturbing. I got visits every day from Tsumugi through the vents, the Doctors and the Captain didn't stop her. So I guess she was allowed after the request of mine, I didn't want those four weeks to go by so quick, death and I were friends before and afterwards… mortal enemies. I knew that the last night I had had come around and broke out I didn't want to die in a hospital, I had almost promised no I vowed never to die in a hospital I thought I would die in the line of duty or on a distant planet far from the bones of our ancestors but… to die in a white room with no life… was not the way I wanted to go.

Zoey's POV…

I… hated him from the moment we met now I missed him I wished that Ochiai was quicker to work on his experiment now my brother was gone, and no amount of science could change that, when he died Tsumugi fell with him, she never talked and when she did she was disobedient, even if she was denying it she had fallen in love with him, and now… he was gone.

Leo's POV…

He was just gone, although I knew I would outlive him I never thought I would become the head of the house hold at the age of 20, I never thought that… now… I am ungrateful, why did he do that? Is it selfish to want to change history to make him let Tsumugi take a bullet for Sidonia? If so I am guilty.

Ben's POV…

Master John, why am I feeling alone for the first time, is it because you aren't threatening to rip my eye out, did I do something wrong when I allowed you to leave the hospital? Was it a crime to allow you to rush into battle, what will we do now that you are gone, why does death hold such a grasp on everyone's emotional state… even a machine like me?

Rex's POV…

I never really got to know him, he was just there, another solider thinking he could cheat death by fighting with his all. Now he is dead, and I feel nothing, however I can't help but think that the Reaper family is finished… without him to fill the strong position of leader… we will fall to the public's demand of death.

Andrews POV…

He was the best soldier a man could have had under his command, and even the quickest of learners, he quickly reached the rank of Knight… although no knight is immortal, and not one person had died just five weeks after getting that honor, or touched so many lives. Without John during the last battle for the Freedom… we would have died… and I would have been proud to take a bullet to save that man.

Little Oliver's POV…

I never thought anything but good things about him, he taught me to fight and to pilot as well as him, and now he is gone… so is my fighting spirit.

Big Oliver's POV…

He was gone, someone I fought and nearly died to protect died defending Sidonia, a ship that had accused him of being a Hybrid lover… maybe they were right, but he was a fighter that saw the light of day when he was saved from that wreck… and now he became more of a brother than I thought he could be… to bad I just saw this.

Commander Lance's POV…

I never thought I would outlive that kid… he was so full of energy and determination he was the first of the Freedom to kill a Gauna on foot at the age of 12… that kid was a fighter to the very core… and now this old bag of bones will outlive his student.

Lt. Aria's POV…

That solider had guts and I respected him… it's sad to let your commanding officer go, even after all that time… he will be missed by everyone aboard the Freedom, and when we beat the Gauna and set up a colony I will make a monument to honor his sacrifice for us all.

Knight Commander Jake's POV…

Man I wish I had a nightmare… but it was real… that kid was dead now, and even though my words vowing to avenge him will never reach the ears of the Gauna assuming they have them that is… it makes the men have hope.

Tsumugi-X's POV…

He was just gone in the morning… I… couldn't believe it… he fought tooth and nail to stay alive all those years before and the very next day… he met me, he said I reminded him of someone he had met, and she had died in combat, killed by Gauna 491, the three Garde shaped Gauna had claimed many lives… I had wished I met him sooner and before he… before he had done that to save Sidonia and me. If I had just another day I would have said the words I had kept in my heart that were left unspoken… now I know what it's like to suffer, and loose someone close to you… and I wish I didn't I will never forget all those day's that I spent with him though no amount of time will change that.

Xena's POV…

I never really liked the kid but he had potential more than that immortal Tanikaze, he knew what others felt like he was around so much suffering and death… and now… he died in the line of duty, and he was still signal… typical.

John died of internal bleeding and blood loss on the 18th of March, the day he was born.

The end…


End file.
